Backrest for toilet seats



Jah- 1571952 FARRELL $582,321

I BACK REST FOR TOILET SE TS Filed Nov. 24, 1947 Patented Jan. is, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BACKREST FOR TOILET SEATS Lura B. Farrell, Coshocton, Ohio Application November 24, 1947, Serial No. 787,789

v 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to accessories for the home or public establishments generally and has to do more specifically with a back rest for toilets, the primary object being to provide such article that is readily usable with virtually any of the many types of modern bathroom toilets and easily positioned for use without complicated attachments and interconnections.

The most important object of this invention is to provide a back rest of the aforesaid character constituting a body including a specially formed frame adapted to rest upon a portion of the toilet and extending upwardly and thence downwardly whereby the flushv tank of the toilet serves as a support therefor when placed in use.

Other important objects include the detachable interconnections of the various parts of the frame per se; the way in which a part of the frame is made to receive a tubular backing-member; and the manner in which the entire structure is formed for simple and inexpensive construction, yet is sturdy, neat appearing and relatively light in weight. I v I v Many minor objects will be made clear during the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a back rest for toilet seats made in accordance with my present invention, parts being broken away for clearness.

Fig. 2 is a side-elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective, stretched-out view of the frame per se for the back rest; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the tubular backing member per se.

In the drawing:

A toilet of conventional character and designated by the numeral l includes a seat l2, a cover I 4 and an upstanding flush tank [6. The seat l2 and cover M are swingably mounted on a common hinge l8.

The back rest forming the subject matter of this invention includes a frame 20 clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. This frame 20 has a normally horizontal, substantially U-shaped tubular member 22 provided with an offset portion 24 disposed near the center of its bight and a pair of upstanding legs 26. The size and shape of the portion 24 of member 22 will depend upon the style and contour of toilet ill, but generally is designed to rest upon and embrace the narrow portion between hinge l8 and the flush tank It.

A pair of sections 30 and 32 of identical but left and right" character are designed to join 2 t e with the member 22. These sections and 32 each include an upstanding standard 34 and 34' -respectively that are rebent upon themselves at their uppermost ends to present downturned arms 3'6 and 36' respectively. The standards 3434' and arms 3636 may well be tubular also in the interest of lightness and the lowermost ends thereof are received in telescoping relationship to the respective legs 26 of member 22.

When standards 34-34' are thus connected with member 22, they are substantially parallel as shown in Fig. 1 while the arms 3636' converge as their lowermost ends are approached. These lowermost ends of arms 3636' are received by openings 38 formed in a small block 4|] and a pin 42 passing through block 40 and the arm 36', removably holds arms 36' interconnected.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the block rests upon the aforesaid narrow portion of toilet Ill, but in cases where toilet I!) is made with merely a rearwardly extending pipe joining flush tank 16, a concave portion 44 formed in block 40 receives such pipe.

A tubular backing member 46 made from relatively heavy cloth or suitable fabric is open at its ends and spans the distance between standards 34-34 in encircling relationship thereto and may be easily removed for cleaning by sliding the member 22 from its connection with the free ends of standards 34-34'. If desired, a pillow or other padding may be inserted within the tubular backing 46.

As clearly-shown in Figs. 1 and 2, when the back rest just described is positioned in operative use on the boilet Hi, the cover 14 is disposed between the arms 3'B-36' of frame 20 and the back of member 46, and the uppermost end of the arms 36-36 as well as the block 40 rest against the flush tank It.

It is clear from the foregoing that a back rest has been produced that may be used successfully with a peculiar arrangement of parts. In other words, a diflicult problem is presented because of the odd shape and contour of toilet seats generally, but the back rest herein set forth meets all the requirements of easy installation, rigid support, comfort to the user, and simple changeability of that portion thereof needing periodic cleaning.

It is desired therefore to be limited only by the spirit of this invention as set forth by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a toilet having a bowl, a flush tank extending upwardly from the rearmost end of the uppermost face of said bowl, and a lid hinged to said face of the bowl for movement to and from an upstanding, open position resting against said tank, the improvement of which constitutes a back rest comprising a sectional framework having U-shaped cross bar having a bight adapted to rest horizontally upon said face of the bowl between said tank and the point of connection between said lid and the bowl and having a pair of spaced upstanding, tubular legs, a

' standard extending upwardly from and telescoped within each leg respectively an arm projecting downwardly from the uppermost end of each standard respectively, and an element joining said arms at their lowermost ends and adapted to rest on said face of the bowl between said tank and said cross bar; and a resil ent member interconnecting said standards above said bar,

said member being spaced from the arms for receiving said lid between the member and the arms when the lid is open.

2. In a toilet having a bowl, a flush tank extending upwardly from the rearmost end of the uppermost face of said bowl, and a lid hinged to said face of the bowl for movement to and from an upstanding, open position resting against said tank, the improvement of which constitutes aback rest comprising a framework having an elongated cross bar adapted to rest horizontally upon said face of the bowl between said tank and the point of connection between said lid and the bowl, a pair of spaced standards extending upwardly from said cross-bar, and an arm projecting downwardly from the uppermost end of each standard respectively said arms having means at their lowermost ends adapted to rest on said face of the bowl between said tank and said crossbar; and a resilient member interconnecting said standards above said bar, said member being disposed across the face of said lid opposite to the tank, said cross barhaving downwardly offset portions formed to overlap a portion of the sides of said bowl in close proximity thereto for holding the lowermost end of the back rest against lateral displacement on the bowl, said arms diverging from the standards and toward each other as said means is approached, said means joining the arms to hold the standards apart and to thereby hold said member stretched taut across the standards.

3. In a toilet having a bowl, a flush tank extending upwardly from the rearmost end of the uppermost face of said bowl, and ,a lid hinged to said face of the'bowl for movement to and from an upstanding, open position resting against said tank, theirnprovement of which constitutes a back rest comprising a framework having an elongated cross bar adapted to rest horizontally upon said face of the bowl between said tank and the-point-of connection between said lid and REFERENCES CITED The following references are of .record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 374,704 Robinson 'Dec. 13, 1887 490,865 Dreisbach Jan. 31, 1893 1,163,945 Murdock Dec. 14, 1915 1,597,753 Allis Aug. 31, 1926 1,717,133 Welsh June 11, '1929 2,476,620 Nichols July 19, 1949 

